Threshing-machine.



UNITED STATES Ple TENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. OARLSON, OF FUNK, NEBRASKA.

THRE SHIN G-MACH INE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 0. Pearson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Funk, in the county of Phelps and State of Nebraska, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Threshing-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in threshing machines, andparticularly to concaves therefor, the object of the invention being toprovide a sectional concave and means for individually adjusting the sections thereof and their supports, whereby the sections may be readilyand conveniently thrown into and out of operative position at will, andarranged with relation to the cylinder to suit different conditions ofservice, without the necessity of stopping the operation of the machine.

The present invention embodies an imrovenient upon the constructiondisclosed in my rior application filed March 22, 1907, Serial 0.363,904.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section on line 1-1 of Fig. 4 throughthe frame of the machine and the concave. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, showing the adjusting and locking means for the concavesections on one side of the machine, one of the ratchet wheels beingomitted and indicated in dotted lines to better show the frameconstruction. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the con cavesections. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the wrench or tool for adjustingthe concave sections.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 represents the sides of themachine frame, provided with bearings 2 for a shaft 3, on

. which is mounted the cylinder 4, which, in

the form shown, comprises a pair of end disks or heads 5 connected bybars 6 carrying threshing teeth 7.

The concave comprises a series of sections 8, 9 and 10, which aresimilar in form, each consisting of a body portion 11 formed or rovidedwith depending supporting arms or anges 1.2 having alined openings 13,said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 382,895.

concave sections being respectively mounted upon transverse shafts oraxles 8, 9 and 10 extending through the openings 13 in their respectivearms,.the openings being of sufficient size to loosely mount the concavesections upon the shafts so that said sections will not turn or rotatewith the shaft.

The several concave sections are arranged to slide in guide ways towardand from the cylinder, the said guide-ways being formed by transverseframe pieces or artitions 14, 15, 16 and 17, constructed of s set-metalor other suitable material, each frame piece or partition beingsubstantially of inverted V- orm or triangular form in cross-section,varying to a greater or less extent therefrom according to therequirements resulting from their relative positions to produce asupporting means extending on an arc concentric with the axis of thecylinder. Each end frame or artition is provided with end walls 18formed with longitudinal slots 19 for the passage of securing bolts 20which extend exterior y through the sides 1 of the frame and areprovided at their outer ends with nuts 21, by which the parts of theframe of the con cave may be independently and individually adjustedtoward and from the cylinder.

Arranged on the exterior of each side 1 of the main frame are upper andlower guide ribs or rails 22 and 23, between which said sides areprovided with slots 24 equal in number to and corresponding inarrangement with the' res ective concave sections and through whic passthe ends of the shafts 8, 9 and 10', each 0 ening being externallysurrounded by a ri or raised portion 25 cut away at points to providepartially circular recesses 26.

The projecting ends of the shafts 8, 9 and 10 are angular in form to fitcorrespondingly sha ed openings in circular eccentric heads or isks 27fitted thereon, which disks on the several shafts are arranged in thespaces between the oppositely sets of rails 22 and 23 and bear thereonso as to be held from movement longitudinally of the guide slots 24, inwhich the shafts are free to slide as the disks are turned to effect theadjustment of the concave sections toward and from the cylin der. Theeccentric heads or disks at one side of the frame are provided withratchet teeth 28 adapted to be engaged by locking dogs or pawls 29pivotally mounted upon the rails 2 whereby the disks may be secured frommovement to hold the shafts and concave sections in adjusted position.Each ratchet eccentric is also formed with a central recess or opening30, for a purpose hereinafter described.

It will be ap arent from the foregoing description that )y turning theratchet eccentrics in one direction or the other the shaft may beadjusted longitudinally in the slots 24 to move the concave sectiontoward and from the cylinder, thereby enabling said sections to beconveniently thrown into or out of action at will or adjusted withrelation to the cylinder to suit different contingencies of service; andthat by adjusting the guide frame pieces the range of adjustment of theconcave sections may be correspondingly varied. This operation will, aswill be further apparent, adapt the cylinder and concave to have avariable threshing action, and may be performed during the threshingaction without stopping the operation of the machine.

A wrench or turning tool is provided to enable the ratchet eccentrics tobe conveniently adjusted, and, as shown in Fig. 6, such tool comprises abar or shank 31 having an operating handle 32. At the center of the baror shank is a pivot pin or stud 33 adapted to be fitted in the opening30 of either ratchet eccentric, and at the opposite ends of the shankare 006 crating gripping teeth or dogs 34 and 35. T e dog 34 is rigidwith the shank, while the dog 35 is movable in a slot in the shank, inwhich slot is arranged a spring 36 tending to normally move the dog 35toward the dog 34. In applying the wrench for turning either ratcheteccentric, the stud 33 is fitted in the opening 30, the tooth 34 engagedwith a ratchet tooth at one side of the disk and the teeth 35 adjustedinto engagement with a ratchet tooth at the opposite side of the disk,thus locking the Wrench to the disk, after which, upon release of thepawl 29, the ratchet disk may be turned by the wrench to adjust itsconcave section in an obvious manner. To release the wrench it is simplynecessary to retract the tooth 35, whereupon the wrench may be readilydetached.

In order to hold each concave section against tilting on its shaft, apair of set screws 37 is provided, said. screws passing through 0 enmgsin the sides 1 of the main frame an having their inner ends arranged toengage the end arms of the concave section on opposite sides of thepivot openings 13, whereby said concave section may, after adjustment,be held rigidly against rocking movement. The heads of these screws liein the recesses 26 flush with the outer face of the rib 25, so that theywill not interfere with the movements of ratchet disks.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction and mode of operation of theinvention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that itprovides a concave having a maximum range of adjustment and in which theadjustments of the sections thereof may be effected without stopping thethreshing machine.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is In a threshing machine, the combination of aframe having slotted side walls, a cylinder, shafts arranged within theframe and extending at their ends through the slots in said side walls,guides upon the outer faces of said walls above and below the slots,eccentrics fixed to the ends of the shafts and located between saidguides, a concave formed of sections independently mounted upon therespective shafts and adapted to be moved by t e rotation thereof towardand from the cy inder, guides for the concave sections adjustablysecured to the side walls and arranged between said concave sections,and locking means for securing each eccentric in its adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN O. CARLSON.

Witnesses A. FRANZEN, B. E. MORROW.

